Ballot-box.



J. B. FISCHER.

BALLOT BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.26. I9I6.

1,207,008. Patented Dec. 5,1916."l

lllllllllll 5 Zwe @jaa/pk ,5. FMG/e671 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

JOSEPH B. FISCHER, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ADAM P. D. MEYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BALLOT-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed February 26, 1916. Serial No. 80,598.

' To provide a simple and eiiicient formation and association of parts whereby the ballots are serially fed into the receiving compartment, and a stoppage of the feeding mechanism automatically effected after each ballot is fed into the box, thus requiring a manual release before a succeeding ballot can be entered.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure 1, is a plan view of a portion of a ballot box, with parts broken away and in section, illustrating the general arrangement of parts in the preferred form of the present invention. Fig. 2, is a detail vertical section on line X-X, Fig. 1, of the operating and registering mechanisms. Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation of said mechanisms on a plane at right-angles to the vertical plane on which Fig. 2, is made. Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail vertical section on line X-X, Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a detail elevation of the inner face of the operating hand crank of mechanism.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an end portion of a box or receptacle adapted to receive the series of ballots and having the usual locked cover 2, by means of which election oflicials may have access to the ballots contained within the box.

3 designates an entry slit provided in the cover 2 for the successive entry of the ballots. Said entry slit is preferably formed in a plate 4 by which the frame or housing of the mechanism is supported in a depending manner, and said plate/1 is in turn set in an opening in the cover 2, and preferably flush with the top surface of said cover, as shown. j

5 and 6 designate companion rollers or drums journaled immediately beneath the entry slit 3 aforesaid, and disposed at opposite sides thereof as shown, so as to receive and by their manual rotation, draw the ballots into the receiving compartment of the ballot box. With a view to an eficient operation, the rollers 5 and 6, are preferably formed with perimeters of an elastic material, such as india rubber, and longitudinally fluted, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3. And in the preferred structure illustrated in Fig. 1, the journal pins of one roller 5, will have fixed bearings in the supporting frame, while the journal pins of the companion roller 6, will have bearings in a horizontally movable yoke 7 yieldingly forced in one direction by a spring 8, to yieldingly hold the rollers 5 and 6 in close peripheral contact and cause the same to rotate in union.

9 designates a marking block of any usual nature in one of the rollers 5 or 6 aforesaid, and adapted to impress upon a passing ballot an identifying mark of an election judge or other ofiicial.

10 designates a pinion lixed on one of the journal pins of the roller 5 aforesaid, and adapted to receive rotation from a gear wheel 11 which receives rotation from the operating mechanism now to be described.

12 and 13 designate longitudinally alined trunnions, the inner one 12 of which is journaled in a bearing sleeve or hub 14 of the supporting frame aforesaid, and carries on its inner end the gear wheel 11 aforesaid. The outer end of the trunnion 12 is formed into one member of a toothed clutch 15,

with the companion member of said clutch.

formed in the adjacent end of the outer and removable trunnion 13 aforesaid.

In the preferred construction shown in Fig. f1, the inner trunnion 12 is formed with an axial orifice adapted to receive a correspondingly formed stem 16 0n the outer trunnion 13, with a view to holding the parts in proper operative alinement in practical use. The outer trunnion 13 is formed with a central guide orifice for the reception of the guide stem of the latch actuating member hereinafter described, and said guide orifice is in turn formed with an enlarged portion for the reception of a spring by which said latch actuating member is moved in one direction.

17 designates a hand crank fixedly attached to the outer end of the outer trunnion aforesaid, for the convenient rotation of the same.

18y designates a movable stop pin guided in they supporting frame aforesaid, and movable into .and out of the path of the hand crank 17 aforesaid, and constituting i the movable member of the latch mechanism adapted to prevent a manual rotation of the hand crank, when said stop pin is in its normal position. Y

19 designates a spring tending to move and hold the stop pin 18 in the path of the handV crank 17 aforesaid.

' "2O designates aicurved stop recess formed Vinthe inner face of the hand crank y17, and

'attached rto the head 21 andinoving in a guidev slot formed in the hand crank 17, in alinement `vviththe abutting portion ofthe stop yrecess 20 andvvith the stop pin 18, as show'n. l

The arrangement is vsuch Athat 'as the actuating head 21 is pushed inwardly by the thumb `of the operator manipulating the Ahand crank 17, the stop pin 18 is pushed out Iof, the stop recess 20,'leaving the hand crank 17 tfreetoreceive a single revolution.

More'than a single revolution of said hand crank is prevented by the reentry of the :stop pin 18 into the recess 20, as the hand crank nears the end of such single revolution, and so that a fresh`manipulation of the actuating head 21 is required at each subsequent revolution of said yhand crank, each -revolution being adapted to effectthe deposit of a single ballot.

Nith thepresent improvement, thehand crank 17 With the described accessories carried thereby, are removable, vas a Whole from 'the ballot box structure, and are intended to remain in the kpossessionof'the election judge or other oflicial having :the deposit of ballots in charge, and thus preventing the deposit of any spurious ballots.

"2,5 designates a counting or registering mechanism of any ordinary and suitable construction, with its primary shaft 2G provided with an operating arm 27, on its outer end.

t28 designates a tappet orlug carriedatz A'the side of the gear vWheel 11 aforesaid,

and adapted in each "revolution of said 'Wheel'to impart movement to the arm 27 fafresaid, and effect a unit registry'inove- Lvment ofthe registering mechanism aforesaid.

Having thus fully -describedlmysaid invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is y L 1. A ballot boX formed Vwith an inlet s'lit for the ballots, a pair of feeding rollers associated With said inlet slit, a pinion as-`V 2. A ballotbox formed with an inletslit for the ballots, a pair of feeding rollers associated With Vsaid Ainlet slit, api'nioniassociated with one of said rollers, gear Wheel `operatively engaging 1 said lpinion A:and having a bearing "-trunnion :the outer end A-fof `Which has va 'clutch formation, fa removable hand crankhaving a lateral-trunnion one 'end fof @which -hasla clutch formation adapted for `ien`gagement with .the clutch formation' of thetru'nnion 'of4 thegear Wheel aforesaid, and meansf'or' stopping-said hand crank after afcomplete revolution, thesame comprising `a lateral stop 'member "on the liand crank, a st'o'pmember on the supporting frame and manually actuated means carried by the handicrank for `effecting 'a 'separation lof said 'stop members, substantially asset forth.

3. A ballot box formedyvith aninl'et'slit for'ballots, a pair of v*feeding rollers associated with said 'inlet slit, ya :pinion 4"associated `v`vith one ofl said rollers, a gear wheel operatively engaging said pinion andfhav- "ing a bearing `trunnion vthe 'outer :end of 'which has ak clutch 'formatiom 'a removable yhand crank 'having' a r lateral trunnion, oneend `of 'which has `Va clutch formation adapted for engagement with the `clutch formation of the trunnion vofthe gear'vvh'eel aforesaid, means for -stopping said hand crank after a complete revolutiomand manually actuated "meansfffor releasing said stopping means slidinglyfmoiuntedy onfsaid hand crank,- substantially f 'as' set forth.

` 1. A ballot boXform'edvvith an inlet:r slit for Vthe ballots, ya pair of feeding rollers associated Ywith saidfi'nlet slit, la pinion associated With one of said rollers, /af'gear Wheel 'operativelyv engagingsaid pinion Aland provided with a clutch member, a Vremov- 'able hand crank `'provided with a `clutch member adapted for' engagement `With the aforesaid clutch member` 'of the gear lWheel,

means for stopping said hand crank after a complete revolution, the same comprising a stop pin movable to and from said hand crank and a curved stop recess in said hand crank, and manually actuated means for moving said stop pin to a release position, substantially as set forth.

5. A ballot box formed With an inlet slit for ballots, a pair of feeding rollers associated With said inlet slit, a pinion associated with one of said rollers, a gear Wheel operatively engaging said pinion and provided With a clutch member, a removable hand crank provided with a clutch member adapted for engagement With the aforesaid clutch member of the gear Wheel, means for stopping said hand crank after a complete revolution, the same comprising a stop pin movable to and from said hand crank and a curved stop recess in said hand crank, and a head movable on said hand crank and having an operating stem in alinement With the stop pin aforesaid and adapted to move the same into a release position, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 21st day of February, 1.916.

JOSEPH B. FISCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

